The Pomegranate Tree
by Aesthetic Morphine
Summary: Danny is a prince in the Ghost Zone. Sam, a princess on Earth. What happens when she's kidnapped by the rude, arrogant, self-centered Prince? She finds herself felling for him. AU.


**The reason for Vlad being Danny's father and other details will be explained later. :) I edited this chapter and fixed errors. Hope you enjoy.**

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The air was particularly chilly that night. Samantha's mother stood behind her, gently brushing her daughter's long ebony hair. Samantha gazed softly at herself in the dresser's mirror, looking past it, lost somewhere in her day dreams.

Her mother's obnoxiously shrill voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Samantha dear, have you considered courting any of the boys in the kingdom yet?"

Samantha's eyes trailed to her mother's reflection in the mirror. Her mother was getting on in years, and although she was still a beauty, one day it would be her time to take over the throne. Her parents had become more and more adamant about her finding a boy to take the throne with. They would talk about traditions and rules but in all honesty, she believed they didn't find her capable enough ruling on her own.

"I don't like any of them," she said simply. "Any interest they have in me is for my title, not for me."

The queen grimaced for a second and then quickly regained her cheery composure. That was one thing Samantha hated about her mother (among many), she was always fake.

"But surely, the kingdom cannot be without a king..."

Samantha turned suddenly to glare at her mother over he shoulder.

"And why not? Don't you think me capable of ruling alone? Must there always be a man involved?"

The queen scowled and tilted her daughter's chin so that she was staring straight at the mirror again, continuing to brush the small knots over her daughter's hair. She had gotten caught up in a horse riding incident that day. She had failed to follow her instructors guidance, lost control of the horse, and ended up face first in a small pond just outside the castle.

"Now now, you know that's not what I meant. Do you see how well your father and I rule this kingdom? It is because we work in harmony. I handle the people and make sure they are well, giving your father guidance when he is in need. In return, he trains the armies and manages the financial affairs. You propose to take all this on by yourself?"

"Yes," said Samantha, her voice calm and full of conviction. "I am more capable than any man you or I may know. If I should meet someone some day, then I won't be against him sharing the throne with me. Until that day arrives, you cannot convince me otherwise."

Her mother placed the brush down on the dresser with a shaky hand.

"That is enough out of you, Samantha. You will make sure you have an escort to your birthday celebration this coming weekend, and when you become queen, there will be a man at your side. That is final."

Samantha stood up suddenly, her eyebrows creased in anger, and almost tripped over her long night gown.

The queen covered her laugh with her hand. "Look at you! You can't even stand, and you expect to rule an entire kingdom on your own?"

Samantha growled under her throat at her mother's mocking laughter.

"Have you ever considered that maybe I don't want to be the queen?" said Samantha angrily, her hands fists at her side. "It's what you want! Everything I do is just to please you!"

"You will not raise your voice at me," said the queen, taking a menacing step towards her daughter. Samantha shrank a bit under her shadow. Her mother could be intimidating when she wanted to be. She walked to the door and grabbed the handle, turning back to say some final words to her daughter.

"Goodnight, Samantha."

Samantha resisted the urge to curl her lip in disgust.

"Goodnight, mother," she spat.

The door clicked shut. Samantha waited, listening to the sound of her mother's echoing footsteps retreating down the hall, until she could hear them no more. She turned back to her dresser, her night gown fluttering behind her. She pulled open one of the drawers, searching through it for an object she had received from her father on her seventeenth birthday. She pulled out a small crimson pouch, the fabric composed of the softest of silks. She opened it and pulled out a dagger, five inches long and three inches across, the dagger gleamed dangerously in the dim light of the room. She held the blade up to eye level.

She was not going to let her mother dictate her life. She held her breath, shut her eyes, and began to cut.

Her long hair crumpled all around her. The cuts were jagged, uneven, unworthy of a princess, and that was exactly how she wanted it. When she opened her eyes, she could scarcely recognize the person staring back at her. Her hair ended at her jaw now, accentuating her already sharp features.

She picked up the flowing part of her gown and stepped over the hair that littered the floor, and got into bed. She would need her rest if she was to face her mother's fury the following morning.

A long shadow paced the length of the floor of the throne room. Here, all objects floated slightly, emanating a slight glow. In this alternate world, it seemed as if someone had turned the saturation level way down. What would have been a deep red was instead a gray crimson, what would have been green was instead a brownish jade, and everything was doused in an air of icy-ness. Here, the sun did not rise nor did it fall. There was no sun at all. It was a cold, cold, place to be, inhabited by cold, cold people. Apparitions, some would even say. They were known as ghosts to the humans.

The pacing figure stopped briefly and faced a hunched figure that was bowed on one knee in front of the throne's steps.

"Do you understand your mission, Daniel?"

"Yes, father," answered the kneeling figure. Silver hair fell in front of his eyes, arm lay gently across his propped knee. He wore a fine suit of white and black, only bested by the kind himself, who had a robe crafted by the best hunter in all of the Ghost Zone. The king had a very stern and cold look to him. With his pale, almost blue-ish skin and glowing red eyes, none could ever hold his gaze for longer than a second. There was none that did not fear the Ghost King.

"Then repeat it back to me."

"I am to seek out the princess of human's realm. When I find her, I am to escort her to her birthday celebration. Then I will capture her and bring her back to the Ghost Zone and leave a note in exchange for ransom."

"Ransom for what?" asked the king.

"For control over half of the human realm...But, father..."

The prince raised his head to meet the king's cold stare. "Are you sure this is worth the risk of a total war with the humans? Surely, we are doing fine with what we have..."

The King crossed his arms behind his back.

"Are you questioning me, Daniel?" asked Vlad. His tone was not angry, but rather inquisitive.

Daniel quickly dropped his head. "No, father. Merely providing my input."

"Tell me, have you ever smelled flowers, my boy? Have you ever witnessed the sky change from a deep, dark black to a shade of blue neither you nor I have a name for?"

Daniel shook his head lightly. "I have never been to their realm, father. You know that."

"Then you do not understand the vast differences that lay between our realms. Here there is green, endless green, it does not falter or waver. You can travel for infinity and that will not change. Even our ectoplasm, our life essence, runs green. The flowers are dead. The trees, they are all dead. There is no warmth. And they—those humans," he spat the word humans like it left a horrid taste on his tongue, "why must they be able to enjoy all the luxuries that we can not? I merely want better for our people, Daniel. War is not my intent, but should it come to that, so be it."

"Yes, father. I understand."

Vlad reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vile full of red fluid. "Take this, Daniel."

"What is it?" he asked, rising from his kneeled position.

"A potion," answered the king. "It will make you human, for three days and three nights, enough to get you there and back. Incredibly hard to come by. Also, I had your documents forged. Ask Fright Knight for them upon your departure. You are the son of a distant nobleman from one of the human kingdoms."

"I see," he said, reaching out has hand for the vile. Vlad raised it over his palm, but hesitated for a second.

"I am not sending my armies there with you, for obvious reasons. Should you fail in your mission, I will not be able to help you. Be incredibly careful."

The prince gave a nod of understanding and wrapped his fingers around the vile.

"I will, father."

Samantha stood atop the balcony, gazing glassy eyed at the people below. She'd been woken up abruptly that morning by a maid who had came to serve her breakfast and had, promptly, discovered what she had done last night. Samantha's ears were still ringing from the shrill scream that had erupted from her.

Her mother had been furious and banned her from all activities until the Ball. She huffed slightly.

"Whatever, the look on her face was priceless."

She noticed a group of people gathering around one end of the city. She stood on her tip toes to catch a glimpse of what was going on, but to no avail.

"Hey, Tucker!" she called out to someone below. Tucker was one of the castle's servants and probably her most cherished friend.

"Sam?" he asked, looking around him for the familiar voice.

"Up here!" she cupped her hands around her mouth so he'd hear her better. The ruckus from the mob was starting to get louder. Tucker looked up, spotting her.

"What's going on?"

"Oh?" he asked, surprised. "You don't know? The son of a nobleman is visiting. For the ball, I hear."

"A visitor?" she asked more to herself than anything. Usually the only visitors were friends of her father's, or drifters. "Okay, I'm coming down, catch me!"

"What? Are you cra—!"

Before Tucker could finish his sentence, Sam threw a leg over the balcony and jumped down, landing roughly on top of Tucker.

"You can't just use stairs like a normal person?"mumbled Tucker.

Sam stood up, brushed herself off, and lent the boy a hand.

"Nah, takes too long. Plus I didn't want my mom to see me...what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow when she noticed the way Tucker was gawking at her.

"Your...hair. What did you?!"

"Oh," she shrugged. "I cut it. Do you like it?"

"Yes, of course. It suits you."

"Really?" she asked, giving Tucker a questioning look. "You're not jut saying that because I'm royalty?"

"I am," he said, giving a shy smile.

She noticed people were lined up all across the street now. What was so special about this guy, she wondered. She pushed through the crowd to get to the center. Without her long flowing hair, hardly anyone recognized her, and as a result didn't move aside. She didn't mind though, not really. It irked her the way everyone acted as if she was a hornet that was not to be angered or opposed in any way.

She spotted a boy with short, choppy black hair. His eyes were a very pristine, very clear shade of blue. His face was well chiseled and his skin looked as soft and as pale as fresh snow. She rolled her eyes, the mob suddenly making sense to her.

"Probably your typical snob royalty," she thought to herself, turning to return to the castle. In the crowd, an old homeless man begging for change got trampled, falling to the ground. Before she could reach out to help him, the mysterious boy did so before her.

He lifted the old man to his feet and dusted him off. "Are you alright? I'm sorry about this."

"N-no, I'm fine, don't ya worry about me," he stuttered, seeming uncomfortable and dazed. A group of girls nearby swooned at his act of kindness.

"Here," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small sack of coins, and placed it the man's hand. "A token of my apology. If you know where the princess is at this hour of day, may I know so that I should ask her to clear this crowd?"

Sam cleared her throat, drawing the attention to her.

"Yes?" he asked, not catching on to her point.

"...You were looking for me?"

He seemed genuinely surprised. "You? You're the princess?"

"Yeah," she grumbled. "Sorry to disappoint."

The crowd erupted into whispers, all of them about her. People calling her mad, reckless, and not fit to rule. Sam crossed her arms and kept a stiff upper lip, looking around the crowd for Tucker, who she had lost.

"No, no, that's not what I meant at all," he bowed. "You are as lovely as they say."

Sam could barely contain the blush that erupted across her face.

"S-seriously?"

"No," Danny thought to himself, but of course, he didn't voice it. He had appearances to keep up after all.

He rose and took her hand, kissing it slightly. He had been raised from birth to be charming, suave, and proper the way all princes should be. He was rather good at it, too. The residents of the Ghost Zone loved him, those who merely saw his public appearance. But behind closed doors he was a different person, cold and distant, like his father.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, princess."

She retracted her hand and crossed it over her chest again.

"What is your name, stranger? And what is your business here?"

"Christopher, m'lady. I am from a distant land, one that is allies with your kingdom. It was only expected that I should show up to the princess's eighteenth birthday party. Unfortunately, my father could not make it. Very busy, like they all are."

Sam was skeptical. She had never heard of this Christopher before, nor had he ever attended any other of her parties.

"What lands? Perhaps I have heard of them."

"Oh," he waved a hand through the air. "That is all trivial now. If you really must know, I will show you my documents some later time."

Something about him sent a cold shiver up her spine. It was barely there, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something other worldly about him. Although he smiled, his eyes remained cold and far-off, as if it was all for show. The feeling she got, it was akin to the feeling of having someone's eyes on her back. Still, maybe she was over analyzing, like she always did.

"May I escort you to your room? I apologize for any trouble I may have caused. I was not expecting such a warm welcoming."

"No," she shook her head. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

She turned to walk away, but his hand shot out suddenly and grabbed her wrist with inhuman speed.

"But m'lady, I intend to visit the castle anyway. Why not go together?"

She pulled her hand out from his grasp, cradling it close to her. "If you insist," she said, and turned to walk off again. Danny jogged slightly to catch up. The sea of people parted as they walked.

"Are you excited for the ball?" he asked in an attempt to make small talk. He wasn't quite sure what to talk about with her.

"Not really, no," she answered simply, trying to keep the talking to a minimum.

"And why not?"

She glared at him from the corner of her eye.

"It's pointless. I have to spend all day entertaining people. I'd rather stay in my room and read a book, or catch fish in the river."

Danny chuckled. "A princess shouldn't be antisocial. It is a celebration of your coming into this world, it should be fun for you."

"Well, it's not," she stated. "And will you stop calling me that? My name is Sam."

"Short for Samantha, I presume?"

"Yes," she answered. "But if you want to stay on my good side, you'll call me Sam."

They walked in silence for a few moments before arriving at the castle's entrance. "M'lad—Sam, why you do not simply read your books or go fishing today, the day before the party?"

The guards eyed them curiously. Rumors would be spread, Sam was sure of it.

"Impossible. I have preparations and what not," she paused for a moment. Danny got the feeling she wasn't telling him everything. "Plus...I'm banned from all activities today."

Danny couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips."May I ask what you did to garner that punishment?"

She pointed to her hair. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Well," he leaned in close, so that the guards wouldn't hear. "What would m'lady say if I told her I could get her punishment lifted for the day?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "I would say, 'good luck with that', because my mother is the most stubborn woman you will ever meet."

Sam caught a mischievous look in Danny's eyes. "And should I prove you wrong, may I be granted one kiss?"

A look of surprise lit up Sam's features, quickly followed by a rouging of her cheeks. "No! Are you insane?"

"Alright then," he stated nonchalantly."Have fun inside all day then, Sam. I'll see you at the ball."

He turned to walk away, a smug smirk on his lips. As expected, Sam called out for him to stop.

"If you can get my mother to lift her punishment, I'll do it."

"Do what?" he asked, smiling. "Say it."

"You are sadistic, aren't you?"

"Say it," he repeated.

"I'll kiss you," she mumbled, not wanting to believe she might have to kiss such a sadistic and smug person.


End file.
